AUSTRALASIA NEW ZEALAND DESTINATIONS ADVENTURE New Zealand BEACH


CULTURE


The land of the long white cloud is surprisingly diverse, finds Katie McGonagle


I


hadn’t felt the slightest flutter of nerves as we geared up


on ground level, putting on a skydiving suit for the first time, buckling up to my uber-cool Brazilian instructor, and posing for photos with a big smile. Yet as we gathered height – and it suddenly dawned on me that although I’d taken off in an aircraft, I wouldn’t be landing in one – that sense of unbridled excitement began to be tempered by a slight tinge of fear, making my heart race and my hands tremble. “Don’t panic,” whispered my


skydiving instructor, sensing my sudden tension. We were at the front and the first to jump; there was no time to be nervous. Edging toward the open hatch, I paused only a moment, then let go, speeding downwards in a 45-second freefall as the glorious expanse of Lake Taupo unfolded underneath. It’s been a while since my


skydiving adventure, but I can still picture every moment in vivid detail: the thrill of flying headfirst through the air, the feeling of floating as the parachute unfurled, and the sight


of tiny Lego-like trees dotting the landscape below. Yet that’s not the only moment


that sticks in the mind from these twin islands: there was the endlessly fascinating glimpse inside Wellington’s beehive-like parliament building on a free yet absolutely priceless tour; the evening of immersion in Maori culture, complete with traditional hangi meal; and the time spent at Hot Water Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula, where warm water springs out of the sand – though only if you manage to hit the right spot,


30 June 2016 travelweekly.co.uk 55


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